Aligning national against European qualifications frameworks: the principles of

self-certification

Professor John ScattergoodPro-Chancellor, Trinity College Dublin

Bologna Seminar, Tbilisi State University27-28 November 2008

Aligning national against European qualifications frameworks: the principles of

self-certification

Professor John ScattergoodPro-Chancellor, Trinity College Dublin

Bologna Seminar, Tbilisi State University27-28 November 2008

Irish context

• Bologna developments taking place in the context of a general reform of the qualifications system

• new legislation, new structures, new awards

• development of a National Framework of Qualifications

Irish National Framework of Qualifications …

• a framework for the development, recognition and award of qualifications in Ireland

• one framework to encompass all awards for all aspects of education and training

• a simple, transparent frame of reference

New legislation, new structures

• Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999

• three new organisations, 2001

• National Qualifications Authority of Ireland

• Further Education and Training Awards Council

• Higher Education and Training Awards Council

• rationalisation of the range of ‘awarding bodies’ (bodies with the statutory power to award qualifications)

Dual approach to framework development

• strong legislative base – legitimisation

• stakeholder approach: consensus-building and consultation

• dual approach enabled

• comparatively rapid development

• implementation across all elements of the education and training system

The Framework in outline

• architecture: Levels, Award-types, Named Awards

• a structure of 10 levels

• level indicators

• 10 level grid of indicators, defined in terms of 8 dimensions of knowledge, know-how & skill and competence (‘sub-strands’)

Verification of compatibility with EHEA framework• two pilot cases of self-certification: Ireland and

Scotland

• steering committee established February 2006

• draft report for consultation published, June 2006

• stakeholder workshop, 3 October 2006

• report completed November 2006

Steering Group members

• National Qualifications Authority of Ireland

• Irish Universities Association

• Dublin Institute of Technology

• Higher Education and Training Awards Council

• International experts (2)

Draft verification report contents

• Verification of criteria

• Verification of procedures

• Appendix 1: Comparison of the Dublin descriptors with the award-type descriptors in the Irish National Framework of Qualifications

• Appendix 2: Analysis of non-outcomes issues which are relevant to verifying the compatibility of the Irish Framework with the Bologna Framework

Criterion 1: Responsibility for framework

• National Qualifications Authority of Ireland established in 2001 with legal remit to develop a National Framework of Qualifications

Criterion 2: Link with cycle descriptors

• detailed background work on comparing national with Dublin descriptors prepared in Spring 2005

• higher education short cycle qualification included (Higher Certificate)

• ordinary bachelors degree and honours bachelor degree – both first cycle qualifications but at different levels in the national framework, giving different access to second cycle programmes in Ireland

• two kinds of masters programmes at the same level in the national framework (research and taught)

Criterion 3: Learning outcomes and ECTS links

• learning outcomes required by the Qualifications Act

• national descriptors expressed in terms of learning outcomes

• all Irish HE awarding bodies operate credit system in line with ECTS

Criterion 4: Procedures for inclusion in national framework

• policies and criteria established and published by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland

• all Irish HE bodies now using framework descriptors as descriptors of the awards they make

Criterion 5: QA systems and the framework• three separate but linked QA systems in Irish HE

• Universities – Irish Universities Quality Board

• DIT – Qualifications Authority

• other HE providers – HETAC

• Irish Higher Education Quality Network

• HETAC and DIT award standards linked to the framework by statute and monitored by their QA arrangements such as programme accreditation and review

• Universities revised their Framework for Quality in Irish Universities to incorporate the qualifications framework

Criterion 6: Referenced in diploma supplements

• Irish framework levels referenced in Diploma Supplements

• Bologna framework cycles referenced in Diploma Supplements

Criterion 7: Responsibility of parties clear

• responsibilities laid out in legislation and worked through in the development of the national framework

• responsibilities understood nationally

Verification of procedures• Each of the six procedures is addressed:

– The competent national body/bodies shall certify the compatibility of the national framework with the European framework.

– The self-certification process shall include the stated agreement of the quality assurance bodies in the country in question recognised through the Bologna Process

– The self-certification process shall involve international experts

– The self-certification and the evidence supporting it shall be published and shall address separately each of the criteria set out

– The ENIC and NARIC networks shall maintain a public listing of States that have confirmed that they have completed the self-certification process

– The completion of the self-certification process shall be noted on Diploma Supplements issued subsequently by showing the link between the national framework and the European framework

Conclusion from the verification process

• compatibility verified between Irish awards and the Bologna cycle descriptors

• limited progression from some first cycle awards (ordinary bachelors) to existing second cycle programmes

• the fact that the relationships between the two types of first cycle degrees are (generally) understood domestically does not suffice – international transparency is the whole point and this requires detailed explication

Lessons from the verification process

• international dimension to verification adds credibility/transparency

• parallel verification with peer (e.g. Ireland and Scotland) adds to international dimension

• technical analysis of qualifications can be quite complex

• data on international progression to/from Bologna-style qualifications are sparse

• legacy questions need to be considered in national frameworks

Further Information

• Framework website: www.nfq.ie

• National Qualifications Authority of Ireland: www.nqai.ie